Car-coupling



UNITED STATES' PATENT lr F FICE@ CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,219, dated November 28, 1882.

Application filed March 30, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. GRANT, of Ypsilanti, -in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplings; and I d0 hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, ref'- erence being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form part ot' thisspecication.

This invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings wherein links and pins are used, the latter being combined with a gravi tating catch, which will allow the pin to automatically engage the link when it is thrust into the draw-bar.

The object of my invention is to utilize the weightot'acoupling-pin whenitpassesthrough the link as a means t'or balancing the link and holding it ina coupling position, as will be-understood from the following description, when taken in connection with the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a section taken vertically and longitudinally through the center ot' a drawbar having nly invention applied to it. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken through a draw-bar and a coupling-link in the pla-ne indicated by dotted line a: .r on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view ot' the coupling-pin of Figs. l and 2.

A designates part ot' a draw-bar, having a backwardlytlaring chamber, ouin it, which terminates in a f'ulcruln-ridge or knit'eedge,7 b,

Vat its front end or outwardly-daring mouth.

B designates a coupling-pin, which is free to play up and down in openings made through the top and bottom portions ot' the draw-bar, near the enlarged end thereof. The enlarged head ot' the coupling-pin is connected by a transverse pivot, c, to the bifurcated end of a lever, C, which is pivoted between ears d d on the top of the drawbar A. The rear upturned tongue, e, of the lever G will be caught by the hooked endfof a gravitat-ing catch, l), when the pin B is fully raised, thereby holding up this pin. When a link is thrust into the chamber a of the draw-bar its end will strike the gravitatin g catch D and release the tongue of lever C from the hook j', thereby allowing the coupling-pin B to drop and effect a coupling or hold the, link E, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The coupling-piu B should be inade heavy enough to hold the coupling-link E in the horizontal position shown in Fig. l, so thatit will enter the draw-bar ot' a car when two ears come together. The pin ot' Figs. l, 2, and 3 is provided with transverse arinsg g, of sufticient length to rest upon the parallel bars ot' the link E, as shown in Fig. 2, thus balancing the lilik on the fulcruni I) bythe conibined weight of the pin, the said arins, and the bit'urcated poi tions of the vlever C.

By the employment ot' an arm extended transversely from opposite sides of the pin B, as described and shown, the entire weight of this pin will rest upon the side bars of the link and effectually prevent it from tilting laterally.

It will be seen by reference to Figs. l and 2 thatI makea curved slot, It, vertically through the upper part of the draw-head of sufficient size to allow the coupling-pin, with its radial arms g g, to be lifted entirely out of thedrawhead. It will also be seen that the pin B is prevented from turning about its longitudinal axis by pivoting its head between the bit'urcated end of the lever C. The said arms g g are thus positively held in a position for bearing onboth bars of the link.

Having described niy invention, I claim- A coupling-pin for a car-coupling. having radial arms g g secured to it, in combination with a draw-head having a slot, l1., which will allow the elevation of said pin, and a link, C, to which the pin is pivoted, which will prevent the latter turning about its longitudinal axis, all constructed and adapted to operate substantially in the manner andfor the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the. foregoing as my own I afx mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD IV. GRANT.

Witnesses:

THOMAS KIssANn, EDWARD l?. ALLEN. 

